This invention relates generally to apparatus for pulling wire or cable through conduits, such as electrical conduits, and more particularly concerns use of power tools for such pulling.
There is need for improvements in apparatus useful for such purposes, and in particular for efficient accommodation of electrically driven pipe threading drives to equipment for pulling wire or cable through conduit. Pipe threading drives employ a power driven annulus or ring that fits over pipe; and no way was known to use such a drive for wire or cable pulling, and unusual advantages deriving from such use were unknown.
It is one major object of the invention to provide improvements in apparatus as referred to. Basically, the improved apparatus includes:
a) a stand including an upright pedestal, and a base supporting the pedestal,
b) a frame mounted on the pedestal,
c) a rotary axle supported by the frame, and a wire or cable pulling capstan carried by the axle, there also being a coupler associated with the axle for coupling an electrically powered driving tool, such as a pipe threader drive, in rotary driving relation with the axle and capstan,
d) a boom having one end portion carried by the frame, and an idler carried by the boom, for entrainment by the cable or wire being pulled in response to capstan rotation when the boom is in operating position, extending at a first angle relative to the frame,
e) the boom having a stored position in which the boom extends at a second angle relative to the frame.
It is another object of the invention to provide an angular position adjustment associated with the boom, whereby the idler can be adjustably positioned angularly, relative to the capstan, enabling pulling of the wire or cable from the idler, in different directions. That adjustment may advantageously include telescopically interfitting boom members one of which carries the idler, and the other of which is carried by.the frame; and locking parts associated with those members to lock them in selected adjusted positions.
A further object includes provision of a boom captivating device carried by one of the following:
i) the base
ii) the pedestal.
The boom itself advantageously may include adjustable members, one of which is adjustable into captivation by that device.
A further object includes provision for accommodation of the driving tool to the frame by provision of a stop on the frame to be engaged by the tool in response to torque transmission by the tool to the capstan, during wire and cable pulling.
An ON-OFF switch may be provided remote from the installed tool, that switch being engagable as by an operator""s foot to shift the tool between ON-OFF positions, whereby the operator""s hands are free for handling cable or wire spooling off the capstan.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which: